What is Political Science
Political science is the study of power in the operation of human society. The political science major is concerned with exploring the exercise of power in its myriad forms and consequences.
Students in the major are encouraged to explore such central issues as:
- the ethical problems attendant upon the exercise of power;
- the diversity of political systems found among nations and the importance associated with these differences;
- the relationship between economic, social, and political change;
- the causes of war and peace;
- and the history of our important political ideas, such as "liberty," "justice," "community" and "morality."
The Courses
Undergraduate courses in Political Science vary from large lectures accommodating 450 students to small, intimate seminars of 15. Introductory, lower division, courses are generally large, while upper division courses are moderate in size.
Political Science courses are challenging, emphasizing critical reading and analytical writing. A typical course may require the reading of a half dozen books and the writing of a research paper. In addition to course work, the political science major provides a variety of undergraduate research opportunities.
The Faculty
For nearly four decades, Berkeley's Department of Political Science has ranked among the top departments of political science in the United States. The Department does not embrace nor promote any particular school of theory or method of analysis. Its tradition is one that values theoretical diversity, intellectual breadth, analytic rigor, and scholarly excellence.
Its full-time faculty of 45 professors, augmented each year by several visiting and emeriti professors, offer courses in the politics of most geographic and cultural areas in the world, as well as in the variety of theoretic and methodological approaches that characterize contemporary political science.